That’s a shocking statistic, especially when you consider that pet theft can be prevented.

Here’s a list of the 5 most popular breeds that are targeted by thieves:

Yorkshire Terriers

Pit Bull mixes

Maltese

Pomeranian

Labradors.

Even if you don’t own one of these breeds, it’s still crucial to educate yourself about pet theft so that your dog doesn’t become a statistic.

Take a look at this infographic, and we’ll chat some more below.

More than 50 percent of dog thefts occur right in your own home or yard. That means it’s up to you to provide a safe and secure home, and pet parents can drastically reduce the odds of their dog going missing by taking a few simple precautions.

5 Ways To Prevent Dog Theft

1) Never, ever, ever leave your dog unattended. I can’t tell you how strongly I believe this. There is absolutely no reason for your dog to ever be left alone in the yard, in a parked car, or anyplace where you’re not right there with her. Period.

2) Make sure your dog has an ID tag with current and accurate information. Even if she is microchipped, an ID tag is still a must. Have you heard the story of how an ID tag saved my dog’s life?

3) Build a secure fence around your yard. I like a fenced yard because it provides my dog with a contained play area but again, I strongly advise never leaving your dog alone in the yard.

4) Keep your gate locked at all times. Keeping your gate locked makes it even harder for a stranger to enter your yard. This gives added security not just for your dog, but also for your home.

5) Keep an eye on strangers. If you see people you don’t recognize in your neighborhood, be aware of them. Report them to the police if they exhibit shady behavior. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

There you have it: these 5 ways to prevent dog theft are so simple, and losing a pet to thieves is totally preventable when we know what to look for and what to do to keep them safe.

Comments

This is one of my biggest fears. A stranger once told me that if they ever found a dog like my girl loose, they would keep her for themselves. I found it kind of creepy. But the thought of someone taking one of my dogs freaks me out. I can’t even think about it.

Excellent tips, every one of these should be followed, Thank you for pointing out that BOTH a microchip and tags are necessary. Microchipping is critical, your dog may be found even a year later and returned to you because of a microchip. A chip is permanent, tags are not. I’m shocked (& a bit shaken) to see the high percentage of dogs stolen via breaking into a home! I didn’t think it was that high. Makes a home alarm system an even better idea now than it was before. Thanks for a great post!
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

Excellent post. I will definitely share this. It irks me to see dogs tied outside stores and restaurants. I could never feel comfortable doing that with my dog. Also I live in a rural area and to this day people still open the door and just let the dog out to run free. :-!

I had no idea in home theft of dogs was so high!!
Another great reason to work your dogs up to being left un-crated while you are gone.
I’d like to hope that my Dante barks and growls at the door while i’m gone but he doesn’t when my neighbor is occasionally called to help us out of a bind.
We’ve considered in home security systems, we might rethink that…
The idea of our pups being stolen freaks me out.

It makes me so crazy when I see dogs, especially small dogs, tied up alone outside of stores or restaurants. I want to take them myself just to make sure they’re safe! (Of course I would never actually do that.) Some animal communicators are good at helping finding lost pets, so if you’re ever in that situation, seek one out. This is not one of my strong points so it wouldn’t be me, but there are people out there who can help.

I can remember a time when I lived in Florida. A man was going around letting his dog out of his van. He would drive around, act like he is looking for his missing dog. His dog would lead him to their dogs. If a dog was left outside alone, he took the dog. He would call for his dog by whistle and be on his way.

I know this because he tried to take my mini pins I had at the time. I had them on a lead in the front yard. I was sitting outside where I was unseen by people. Where I could watch my dogs. The man came in my yard. I made him leave. I took his license plate and reported to the police.

I worry about this so much. I have two little shih tuz…. Small size. They are beautiful. My husband is always wanting to take them to the grocery store with us and leave them in our SUV. They have a nice big carrier and blankets and water in there when we travel. But I don’t want too. I worry someone will break our windows and take them. I also NEVER leave them outside alone, not only because that someone might take them, but also we have coyotes in our area and that also scares me to death. I cannot imagine the pain if I lost them. Thanks for posting this wonderful article.

My German Shepherds are trained service dogs for me. ONE of the four however, is trained to guard the others. ::grins:: She is trained to let a stranger come into the yard, then go into a bark and hold behavior so the would be thief is not going to get away if he’s brazen enough to come into the yard. She has an “off” switch on it, and I have a little sign that says ICE, to call my cell and I can give them the command to turn my dog off if a person has a legitimate reason for being there. A power Company employee for example. You can bet your boots though I call to confirm BEFORE I turn the dog off. 😀

Other tips I’ve heard (and used) are to never put the dog’s name on a tag as thieves can use their names to call them over; also never give curious, friendly strangers information about your dog, especially that your dog is purebred and/or not spayed. About chips, I’m actually tempted to have second microchips inserted as thieves regularly remove them – if they remove one, there’d still be the other that they’d hopefully not realise was there.

Just read your post re 5 steps to prevent our dog being taken.
I always wondered how these thieves manage to steal dogs such as: pitbulls, Dobermans, German Sheppards These dogs are supposed to guard and protect their home and their owners.
thx

This is great info regarding keeping your pet safe. However, please reconsider your use of the term “bait dogs.” I’ve worked or volunteered with many of the major dogfighting cases over the last 5+ years. We have never found evidence of bait dogs in professional dogfighting. It’s largely a myth, and sadly used most often regarding dogs with wounds of unknown origin or dogs who have wounds that are consistent with dogfighting.

The term “bait dog” really vilianizes the other dog if you think about it. They are, collectively, victims of exploitation and cruelty… survivors.

But thats just me… because I spend a big part of my life with survivors of dogfighting. Food for thought.

I don’t see where the term “bait dog” is used in this article, but I will tell you that I most certainly can cite instances where a “bait dog” was used as part of a dog fighting ring. While I agree with you that ALL DOGS are victims of the horrific crime of dog fighting, there’s no denying that some animals are used for the specific purpose of training the fighters. I can’t think of a better term that “bait dog”, or in some cases “bait kitten” or “bait cat” or “bait puppy”. I think it’s important that people know this horror exists, and maybe it will encourage them to be more mindful of their pets, including being careful about who they give them away to.

“Bait Dogs”. A terminology that is a fact. We can call it another name, but no doubt it is definitely out there. We live in a rural area in Alberta, Canada, and if it exists here, it exists everywhere. If anyone denies the “fact”, whether they help or volunteer with this aspect of this dreadful criminal activity, they had better do more research. When one gets confirmation from the local authorities, and local Veterinarians, can one still say “this is a myth, or it does not exist”. One is living in a dream world if they believe otherwise. My intention is not to berate anyone, I only hope that the more we realize this is happening, the more we can endeavor to put a stop to this horrible crime.
We own dogs, cats and horses, and they are like children to us. We ensure they are safe, protected and loved. Being aware of potential dangers is preventative medicine. This crime is a reality, do not deny it.

I have a rather large and elegant (female) Doberman, who I absolutely treasure. I haven’t thought about theft that much, but that’s probably because I don’t put her in a position where she is likely to be stolen (though of course someone could break into the house and steal her when I’m not here).

I go back and forth from indoors to outdoors regularly throughout the day so, basically, when I go outside she comes with me… and when I come inside she comes with me. Dogs are social beings, and I find that most dogs prefer to be inside with their owner/family, than to be outside alone.

And, of course, I never ever leave her unattended when off-property. 🙂

Dog thieves come in all shapes and sizes… and can have all manner of intentions.

One of my neighbors had his dog go missing from his outdoor dog run. I helped look for the dog, and was very upset that she wasn’t found (she had a health issue). Thinking that the dog had escaped, my neighbor put out the word to the various shelters, pounds and vet clinics in the hope that she would turn up.

Turn up she did… a couple of weeks later at a vet clinic many miles away. The dog was brought to the vet clinic by it’s ‘owner’ and, knowing to be on the look-out for a missing Golden Retriever, he checked the tattoo in the dog’s ear and found that it was my neighbor’s dog.

As it turns out, the dog was stolen out of it’s dog run by a local dog rescue society that felt that the dog was being neglected because it was outside on its own. In addition, it turns out that many other dogs had been stolen by this group because they deemed that dogs left outside on their own are being neglected. The stolen dogs were then adopted to other families through the rescue society.

To be clear, while I absolutely do not approve of dogs spending their lives outdoors as ‘resident’ dogs (as opposed to a proper social life as a ‘family’ dog), that doesn’t mean that every dog that is left alone in a back yard for a stretch of time is a neglected dog.

Could a proportion of these stolen dogs be legitimately neglected? Yes, absolutely possible. This rescue society, however, decided that the existing animal welfare system wasn’t taking care of such issues, and decided to take matters into their own hands. They have since been charged by the police and I think that sentencing may have already taken place.

Can you shoot someone that’s trying to steal your dog out of your yard? Not kill them just shoot them in the foot so you can save your dog from a dognapper. Would it be legal? It is similar to your child being kidnapped.

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I'm Christina, a wife, mom, pet lifestyle influencer and online boutique owner. I love connecting with other dog moms who are into fashion, beauty, green living, and of course, living a fabulous life with our pets! Read More…

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